This is more like it.
A year after the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of Miners Day festivities in Park City, Parkites on Monday will line Main Street for the parade, take in a display of mucking and drilling befitting the miners of yore and generally soak in the revelry that typically accompanies our small-town spin on Labor Day.
While it remains a good idea to abide by coronavirus precautions — keep your distance from others and mask up when that’s not possible — the prospect of gathering again for one of our most treasured community traditions is exciting. Parkites have no doubt been watching the calendar with anticipation, eager to partake in the fun.
The very fact that Miners Day will be held as usual a year and a half after the worst health crisis in a century struck the town shows that the tenacious spirit of our heritage is still here — even after all the changes that have occurred in the decades since skiing replaced mining as Park City’s economic driver.
Like the miners did so many times in our town’s history, we’ve endured innumerable challenges yet are still standing, as strong as ever. With the delta variant igniting another surge in coronavirus cases across Utah, more challenges are likely on the way this fall and winter, even if our community’s vaccination rate means the worst of the pandemic may be behind us. We’ll make it through those, too.
But it’s worth considering why we have been able to withstand the pandemic better than almost anyone thought when the virus began spreading in our community. The obvious answer is that our abundant outdoor recreation offerings have allowed our tourism economy to keep churning.
That’s true. But it’s only been possible due to the efforts of the rank-and-file workers staffing the hotels, restaurants, ski resorts and shops who’ve made countless sacrifices throughout the pandemic to keep our town running.
They are part of a long lineage of Parkites willing to roll up their sleeves during difficult times, and they represent the values that have always made the community a resilient place.
On Miners Day, we’ll salute them alongside the miners who built the town. Parkites should also take a few minutes amid the festivities to express gratitude for the fact there are still so many of our neighbors who embody what the holiday is all about.